Amusement apparatus.



D. H. TALBERT.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13,1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

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AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13, 1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

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AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13,1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

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D. H. TALBBRT.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13,1911.

Patented Aug. 13,1912.

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A TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL H. TALBERT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BOX BALL COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. TALnnnT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain useful Amusement Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved game apparatus somewhat like bowling alleys and of the type generally known as box ball alleys.

The nature of these improvements will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of said game apparatus, with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same as what is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and looking rearwardly therefrom. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the device on an enlarged scale as compared with Fig. 1, and with parts broken away and parts in section. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of what appears in Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale, parts being broken away. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

In detail there is shown herein for the purpose of explaining the general nature of this invention, a ball course 10 which may be constructed and mounted in any suitable way with a trough 11 on each side thereof and a return trough 12.

13 is a post at the forward end of the structure.

14 is a resetting lever fulcrumed to the return trough at 15 and pivotally connected with a resetting rod 16.

At the rear end of the structure there are side bars 17, side plates 18, an end plate 19 and a bottom plate 20. A cross bar 21 extends from the forward ends of the side bars 17 across the device and is elevated some distance above the ball course and upon this the alley pins 22 are mounted. This mounting is effected by arms 23 secured to said cross bars 22 projecting forwardly and downwardly therefrom, as shown in Fig. 4.- A fulcrum rod 25 is mounted in the lower'ends of said arms 23 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 13, 1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 620,746.

and the pins 22 are fulcrumed on said rod. These pins are pivoted between their ends so that the lower end of the pins project near enough to the ball course to be struck bya ball 30, and the pins are substantially semi-circular in cross section and so formed as to be top heavy. This last object is accomplished by reason of recesses at 31 slightly below the fulcrum so as to reduce the weight of the lower portion thereof; also the weight of the lower portion of the pins is reduced by providing extensions 32 made of some resilient material like rubber or leather. This rubber 32 is strengthened by a metal bolt 33 which extends diametrically through or cross-wise of the device. The pins are also provided above their fulcrum with a recess 34 and a metal plate 35 is secured to the rear surface of each pin so as to project above the lower surface of said recess 34. A spring catch 36 is secured at 37 to a cross bar 38 and it projects into the recess 34 and is slightly bent near its forward end so as to catch over the plate The tension of this spring is adjustable by a screw 39.

\Vhen a pin is struck by a ball it is knocked into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6, that is, to a horizontal position and it is stopped by a buffer 40 which is engaged by the rear lower surface of the pin. This buffer 40 extends entirely across the device and is formed of some flexible material like leather into a receptacle containing shot or other yielding weight and the buffer is suspended froma cross bar 41. The balls 30 are also stopped after leaving the ball course by a buffer 42 formed substantially the same as the buffer 40 only it is muc larger and is suspended from a cross bar 43 which is pivoted at its ends so as to be oscillatory. The lower end of the buffer 42 projects through a recess 44 cut in the floor 20 and the rear edge of the floor 20 serves as a stop for limiting the return movement of the buflen- The actuated position of the buffer, when struck by a ball is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6. After the pins have been struck, they are reset by a bar 50 which extends across the. mounting and has a curved arm 51 at each end which is pivoted on the fulcrum rod 25. To one of said arms 51 a bar 53 is pivoted which in turn is pivoted to the upper end of a lever 54 and said lever is pivoted at its lower end to a bracket 55 and intermediate its ends said lever is connected through a turn buckle 56 with the rod 16. When the resetting lever 14 is drawn forwardly, the resetting bar 50 will be moved from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 4, and during such movement will engage the rear surfaces of the lower portions of the pins and reset said pins.

At the end of the device there is a back board 60 extending higher than the alley pins and on said board the numerals 61 are placed which register with the alley pins when viewed from the forward end of the apparatus, said numerals representing values of the alley pins with which they register.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a game apparatus having a ball course over which balls are adapted to be rolled, and pins fulcrumed between their ends in position for the lower portions thereof to be struck by the balls, portions of said pins below the fulcrum being intermediately recessed to render the upper ends thereof top heavy, and releasable means for holding the pins in upright position.

2. A game apparatus including a ball course over which balls are adapted to be rolled, a cross bar on a higher level than the ball course, alley pins, means connected with said cross bar for fulcruming said alley pins so that their lower ends may be struck by said balls, said alley pins being recessed above their fulcrum and in the rear surface,

an upwardly projecting plate secured to the rear surface of each alley pin near said recess, and a spring catch projecting into said recess over said plate.

8. A game apparatus including a ball course over which balls are adapted to be rolled, a rod extending transversely of the device on a higher level than the ball course, alley pins fulcrumed on said rod, detachable means for holding said pins upright, arms pivoted on said fulcrum rod, a bar transversely of the device secured to the ends of said arms in position to engage the rear surfaces of the alley pins and reset them, and means for actuating said arm.

4. A game apparatus including a ball course over which balls are adapted to be rolled, alley pins fulcrumed between their ends above said ball course so that the lower portions thereof will be struck by the balls, a cross bar to the rear of the alley pins, and a bufier suspended from said cross bar in position to be engaged by said alley pins after they have been struck, said buffer consisting of flexible material formed into a receptacle and containing weighted granular material. a

In witness whereof, I have, hereunto aflixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

DANIEL H. TALBERT.

Witnesses:

G. H. BOINK, O. M. MGLAUGHLIN. 

